Weather-resistant wearing apparel



BfD. PITMAN WEATHER'RESISTANT WEARING APPAREL April 11, 1967 Filed Jan.29, 1965 INVENTOR. BQqMO DD. 9m

Uied States Patent 3,312,982 WEATHER-RESISTANT WEA :'-1 fl G APPARELBradford Dean Pitrnan, 6 Tanager Road, Attleboro, Mass. 02703 Filed Jan.29, 1965, Ser. No. 429,035 6 Claims. (Cl. 2-232) This invention relatesto sportsmans apparel, and more particularly a combination boot and pantadapted for use as outdoor wear.

The subject matter of this invention is particularly adapted to skiingapparel, for it provides a weather-tight closure of ski boot and skipant which is both easy to put on, comfortable to wear and convenient tostore.

The standard or common ski pant is a garment having a leg portion with astrap running underneath the wearers foot connecting opposite sides ofthe pant hem. By this means the pant is held down so as to prevent thepant from rising in use; it also keeps a slight tension in stretchtypefibers. Necessarily the boot is fitted over the bottom of the pant leg;conversely speaking, it results in the pant leg being stuffed inside theboot. As a consequence, there is often discomfiture associated with thepresence of the pant and strap inside the boot. The local restrictionsby the inserted pant leg and attendant strap have been known to promotecutting down or limiting of essential blood circulation in the foot,thus dulling the senses and encouraging the likelihood of exposure orfrostbite. This is not only true of ski apparel, but of many outdoorwear wherein it is common to tuck the pant leg into the footwear.

It is also known that in the case of the popular stretch pant, theunder-foot st-rap keeps the entire garment under tension. This resultsin the weakening of the fabric and a shortening of its useful life. Thistension in the pant can also cause discomfort when the wearer is in asitting position.

This standard practice (wherein the pant is tucked in the boot) also hasthe recognized drawback that the arrangement permits the entrance ofsnow or Water into the boot. It is a common occurrence to skiers thatthe outerboot, no matter how tightly secured, cannot prevent snow orwater from penetrating into the boot at the interface between the lip ofthe boot and the adjacent pant leg. This, of course, results in severediscomfort, and, in most cases, requires the cessation of outdooractivity until the apparel is either changed or dried out.

It is the purpose of this invention to overcome the above mentioneddrawbacks associated with common ski pants and boots.

It is an object of this invention to provide a combination boot and pantfor outdoor wear which is both comfortable, safe and attractive, andwhich substantially reduces the likelihood of inclement elements, suchas snow or rain, from entering the boot.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a boot and pantarrangement such that the boot is secured to the pant in a weather-tightmanner during use, but which may be readily detached from the pant legWhen not in use.

It is a further object of this invention to provide the advantagesassociated with the storage, transporting and cleaning of separate bootsand pants, but to provide, when in use, the advantages of a unitary pantand boot.

It is the further object of this invention to provide zipper means onstandard boots and complementary zipper means on a pant leg havinglateral stretch, so that boot and pant may be detachably securedtogether and so that the pant leg overlaps and protects the lip of theboot against the elements.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention in thesecured or use position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, but showingthe elements in the detached condition;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing thecooperation of the boot and the pant;

FIG. 4 is a detailed perspective view of an embodiment of the invention;and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing details of the inside-front of thepant leg according to one embodiment of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, FIG. 4 shows an embodiment ofthe invention wherein one-h-alf of a full-release zipper 1 is attached,as by sewing stitches 2, to a boot 3 at or near its lip 4. The zipper 1has a pull 5 and cooperating slide 6 adapted to engage the teeth 7 to alike half-zipper as hereinafter described.

The zipper 1 is attached to the boot 3 such that the middle of thezipper 1 is adjacent the back-center of the boot 3. This results in theends 8 and 9 of the zipper 1 being approximately equidistant from thefront-center of the boot 3. By attaching the zipper 1 in this manner,standard length zippers can be used conveniently. It is not necessarythat zipper 1 circumscribe the whole perimeter of boot lip 4, nor is ittherefore necessary to make the ends 8, 9 of the zipper 1 meet. Gapsbetween zipper ends of an inch or even more can be tolerated without anynoticeable deleterious effect on the performance of the product.

The product, as shown in FIG. 4, has a corresponding pant leg portion10, to which is attached a half-zipper 11 which is adapted to engagewith the half-zipper 1 attached to the boot lip 4-. This secondhalf-zipper 11 is sewn, or otherwise secured, to the pant leg 10 on theinside thereof such that a substantial portion of the pant leg 10extends over and, in effect, hides the teeth 12 of the zipper 11. Thedistance between the teeth 12 and the pant edge 13, hereinafter referredto as the overlap, is designated as item 17. It is important that thezipper 12 is placed such that the center of the zipper is adjacent theback-center or crease 14 of the pant.

The overlap 17 is also important, for, as shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3,it permits the pant leg to fully cover the zipper, thus protecting itagainst icing and other deleterious effects of exposure. It alsopresents a neat and tailored appearance, there being none or very littleof the bulging associated with tuck-in pants. The overlap 17 should besufiicient in length to cover both lip 4 of the boot and the wholezipper 18.

It has been found that a one inch length is generally sufiicicnt, butthis may obviously vary depending on the design of the boot and thespecific placement of the zipper on the boot relative to its lip.

Ski pants generally have a tapered leg, and this design is recommendedfor the pant made according to this invention. Obviously, however,perimeters of pant leg openings will vary from pant to pant, as will thecorresponding perimeters of the mouth of the boot.

According to the invention it is desirable to have the perimeter of theleg opening roughly the same, or slightly larger than the mouth of theboot. However, to compensate for differences that inevitably arise, itis preferred that the pant leg 10 be laterally stretchable in thevicinity of the overlap area 17. This permits more lattitude in thematching of the pant opening with the mouth of the boot and assures thatthe pant leg overlap '17 can be readily pulled over the boot lip 4 so asto obtain the desired overlapping cooperation as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3,without causing undesirable distortion of the fibers.

As shown in FIGS. 14, the necessary lateral stretch in the pant may beprovided by sewing a piece of common stretch material 15 (for instance,either crimped or elasticized fibers) in the front-center of the pant10. This piece 15 replaces the ordinary non-stretch or verticalstretchmaterial and, particularly in the vicinity of the pant edge 13, gives anamount of lateral play that will permit the pant to accommodate itselfreadily to the wearers boot 3. As shown in FIG. 4, with the hem turnedit has a generally triangular shape with the base along the pant edge13.

The same effect is obtained, of course, if the pant is manufactured inthe first instance to have at least lateral stretch in the vicinity. ofthe overlap 17. The area that is laterally stretchable, however, should,like piece 15 shown, be preferably located in the very front of the pantand, if convenient, in the gap between the ends 27, 28 of zipper 11. Inthis position it does not interfere with the zipper and the wearer may,if need be, readily stretch the material with his hands so as to permitthe pant leg overlap 17 to go over the boot lip 4. Thereafter the frontportion of overlap 17 is secured in this position by means, forinstance, of a hook 16 (FIGS. 1, 4) which is secured at one end to theinside front-center of the pant, and which is adapted to engage a thongor lace 29 of the boot when in use. In this manner it is assured thatoverlap 17 covers and protects the zipper and that the front gap, ifany, between zipper ends is likewise protected from the elements.

FIG. shows an additional and/or alternative means for securing theoverlap 17 in position during use. In this case stays 19, 21) are sewninto the garment on a bias such that the lower ends 21, 22 located at ornear the bottom 25 of pant leg point outwardly, and the upper ends 23,24 located at or near the joint 26 where the zipper 11 is attached topant leg 10, are pointed inwardly. The stays 19, 20 which are preferablymade of tough semi-stiff celluloid, plastic or whalebone, impartrigidity and hence resist any tendency for the overlap 17 to curl orraise during use. The same purpose may be served by stays having springmeans (not 'shwon) for holding the fabric down. This feature may be usedeither with or without the hook member 16.

FIG. 4 shows another stay means which has been found useful in retainingthe shape of the front of the pant. There is shown a centrally orientedand elongated pocket 31 located along the bottom pant edge 13 in whichhas been disposed a semi-rigid material 30 such as those heretoforementioned with regard to the stays 19, 20 of FIG. 5. Since the pant hemordinarily provides a double thickness of material at the bottom, thesemi-rigid material is readily inserted in the bottom fold of the fabricand the pocket 31 is thereafter created by sewing the two layers offabric togther colse to the upper edge of the semi-rigid material 30 andaround the sides to the pant edge 13. The hook 16 may be attacheddirectly to the semi-rigid material 30 through the fabric or through aneyelet (not shown) in the fabric. The eyelet is not negessary but itsaves wear on the fibers of the pant and, if it is of appropriate size,it can permit the semi-rigid material to be removed therethroughwhenever desired. This stay feature as depicted in FIG. 4 will notinterfere with the lateral stretch of the pant, and, in fact, will tendto keep the semi-rigid material 30 centered on the front of the panteven when the pant fabric is stretched.

The pocket for retaining the stay is disposed laterally, whether it bepositioned horizontally as depicted in FIG; 4 or follow an oblique stayas depicted in FIG. 5.

The position of the boot 3 and pant 10 on the wearer prior to theengagement of the zipper halves 1, 11 is shown in FIG. 2. The cuff ofthe pant has been turned up to show the inside of the pant leg 10 in theoverlap area 17.

The zipper used according to this invention can be any of the zipperswhich have in the past been commonly used for outdoor wear. This wouldinclude, for instance, not

only the common zippers have engaging or interlocking metal teeth, butthe more recent polymeric zippers such as those composed of nylon,including those sold under the trademark Velcro by E. I. du Pont deNemours & Co. Also useful are those zippers whose principle of operationis tongue in groove rather than interlocking teeth. Regardless of thezipper chosen, it must be one which separates completely into twocomplementary halves. Preferably the slide is of the type which locks inposition, even when partially engaged.

When using zippers with engaging slides, such as indicated at 6 on FIG.4, the slide of the zipper for one leg .is preferably placed on the boot(as shown), whereas the slide for the zipper for the other leg is placedon the pant (not shown). preferably zips in the opposite direction thanthat for the other leg. In other words, if the zipper slide for the leftleg engages the teeth :by zipping counterclockwise, the zipper slide forthe right leg should be located such that it engages by zippingclockwise. In this manner, it is possible to have the half-zipperslocated on opposite pant legs engageable with each other. This permitseasy and convenient hanging and carrying of the pants by means of astandard steel hanger interposed between the pant legs which have beenzipped together. It also permits the boots themselves to be engaged toeach other so that inadvertent looses of one boot or the other, when notin use, are minimized.

The pant-boot combination made according to this invention has beenfound to be neat, comfortable and weatherproof. It eliminates thebulging and folding of pant material within the boot; it reduces tensionon fibers of the fabric; and it prevents snow, ice and water fromgetting into the boot. Furthermore, it presents a tailored, attractiveappearance. Although the invention is of particular advantage in skiingapparel, its advantages are obviously applicable in many instances togeneral outdoor activities.

It is apparent that various modifications may be made in theconstruction of the invention as depicted herein without departing fromthe principles of the exemplified embodiments shown, or the fair scopeof the invention as herein described.

What is claimed is:

1. A detachably engaged ski boot and ski pant combination comprisingfirst zipper means circumferentially attached at or near the upper edgeof said boot such that the midpoint of said first zipper means isgenerally aligned with the center of the back of said boot, secondcomplementary zipper means circumferentially attached inside the leg ofsaid pant such that the midpoint of said second zipper means isgenerally in alignment with the backcenter of said leg of said pant andis spaced apart from and above the lower edge thereof, said first andsecond zipper means being detachably engaged to each other, said pantleg having material with lateral stretch in the vicinity of thefront-center portion of the lower edge thereo f said upper edge of saidboot and said first zipper means being overlapped by said lower edge ofsaid pant and wherein said pant leg has, in addition, an elongatedpocket portion laterally disposed near the bottom front edge of saidpant, said pocket portion having disposed therein an elongatedsemi-rigid material adapted to impart shape and rigidity to the bottomof said pant leg.

2. .The combination according to claim 1 which includes, in addition,hook means attached to the insidefront area of said pant leg below saidsecond zipper means, said hook means being disposed downwardly andadapted to engage with a member secured to said boot and to thereby keepthe adjacent lower edge of said pant lapped over said first zippermeans.

3. Sportswear apparel consisting of a detachably engaged boot and pantcombination comprising a boot having first zipper meanscircumferentially attached thereto around the periphery of said bootnear the upper edge In addition, the zipper slide for one leg' thereof,a pant leg having second zipper means adapted to complement anddetachably engage with said first zipper means, said second zipper meansbeing circumferentially attached around the inside of the pant leg andspaced apart from and above the lower edge thereof, at least a portionof the pant leg material extending below said second zipper means beinglaterally stretchable, said boot having hook receiving means thereon,and said pant leg having hook means secured to the front inside thereofadapted to engage with said hook-receiving means on said boot, wherebysaid lower edge of said pant leg covers said first zipper means and saidupper edge of said boot, and said hook means retains said lower edge ofsaid pant leg against upward movement.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said pant leg has, inaddition, an elongated pocket portion laterally disposed near the bottomfront edge of said pant, said pocket portion having disposed therein anelongated semi-rigid material adapted to impart shape and rigidity tosaid pant leg, and said hook means being secured to the front-inside ofsaid pant leg by attachment to the semirigid material in the vicinity ofits longitudinal center.

5. Sportswear apparel consisting of a detachably engageable boot andpant combination comprising a boot having laces :and a first zippermeans circumferentially attached at or near the outside upper-edgethereof such that the midpoint of said first zipper means is alignedwith the center of the back of said boot, and a pant leg having a secondzipper means circumferentially attached to the inside bottom of saidpant leg, said second zipper means being disposed such that it is spacedapart from and above the lower edge of said pant leg and such that themidpoint of said second zipper means is generally in alignment with theback-center of said pant leg, said second zipper means said first zippermeans, a front-center portion of said pant leg below said second zippermeans being composed of laterally stretchable material, the bottom ofsaid pant leg being adapted to extend over and cover the first zippermeans and the upper-edge of said boot, and a hook attached to the insideof said front-center portion of said pant leg and adapted to detachablyengage with a lace on said boot.

6. A pair of detach'ably engaged boot and pant combinations according toclaim 1 hereof wherein the zipper slide for engaging the first andsecond zipper means of one of said pair of combinations is permanentlyattached to said first zipper means and the zipper slide for engagingthe first and second zipper means of the other of said pair ofcombinations is permanently attached to said second zipper means, andthe circumferential directions of movement for engagement of the slideof said zipper means being clockwise for one of said means andcounter-clockwise for the other of said means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 771,021 9/1904Lux -1 2232 2,283,362 5/ 1942 Hamilton 2227 2,679,647 6/1954 Gossner 2822,746,114 5/ 1956 Williams.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,053,635 9/1953 France. 1,196,734 5/1959 France.

178,799 4/ 1906 Germany.

557,329 11/1943 Great Britain.

970,698 9/ 1964 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. being complementary to anddisengageably attachable to 35 A. R. GUEST, Assistant Examiner.

1. A DETACHABLY ENGAGED SKI BOOT AND SKI PANT COMBINATION COMPRISINGFIRST ZIPPER MEANS CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ATTACHED AT OR NEAR THE UPPER EDGEOF SAID BOOT SUCH THAT THE MIDPOINT OF SAID FIRST ZIPPER MEANS ISGENERALLY ALIGNED WITH THE CENTER OF THE BACK OF SAID BOOT, SECONDCOMPLEMENTARY ZIPPER MEANS CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ATTACHED INSIDE THE LEG OFSAID PANT SUCH THAT THE MIDPOINT OF SAID SECOND ZIPPER MEANS ISGENERALLY IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE BACKCENTER OF SAID LEG OF SAID PANT ANDIS SPACED APART FROM AND ABOVE THE LOWER EDGE THEREOF, SAID FIRST ANDSECOND ZIPPER MEANS BEING DETACHABLY ENGAGED TO EACH OTHER, SAID PANTLEG HAVING MATERIAL WITH LATERAL STRETCH IN THE VICINITY OF THEFRONT-CENTER PORTION OF THE LOWER EDGE THEREOF, SAID UPPER EDGE OF SAIDBOOT AND SAID FIRST ZIPPER MEANS BEING OVERLAPPED BY SAID LOWER EDGE OFSAID PANT AND WHEREIN SAID PANT LEG HAS, IN ADDITION, AN ELONGATEDPOCKET PORTION LATERALLY DISPOSED NEAR THE BOTTOM FRONT EDGE OF SAIDPANT, SAID POCKET PORTION HAVING DISPOSED THEREIN AN ELONGATEDSEMI-RIGID MATERIAL ADAPTED TO IMPART SHAPE AND RIGIDITY TO THE BOTTOMOF SAID PANT LEG.